Denying Employment To Ex-Offenders Increases Recidivism Rates

There are quite a few barriers for ex-offenders looking for employment, which increase the risk for reoffending and impact recidivism rates.

What keeps ex-offenders from finding jobs

As a population, offenders statistically tend to have less education and less previous employment in their backgrounds, which initially makes them less-appealing applicants.

Many applications will automatically disqualify those who have felony convictions, barring many former convicts. Those that make it through this step might be hit with a background check that disqualifies them as well.

Making it to an interview can be difficult, but making yourself presentable for an interview you do get can also be a challenge when you might not be able to find housing and are likely low-income.

Unemployment leads to re-offending

It is commonly known by experts in the field that employment is an incredibly important factor in stabilizing someone’s life after release from prison.

People need to have the steady activity and responsibility in order to avoid falling back into the same behaviors that landed them in the system. More importantly, they need a steady paycheck to get themselves housing, food and basic necessities in order to survive on their own.

This impacts recidivism rates

The increased risk for re-offending caused by unemployment has a negative effect on overall recidivism rates, and that impact has been tracked by several recent studies.

America Works partnered with the Manhattan Institute to track the success rates of their employment-assistance programs for released offenders. They found that offenders who participated in their programs had almost 20 percent less of a chance of re-offending and returning to prison.

Takeaway: We have to care about recidivism

Ex-offenders need employment, and it’s important to recognize their barriers to leading successful lives. But high recidivism rates indirectly impact all of us — they inflate prison populations, which overflow correctional budgets that are paid for by taxpayers. So whether or not we care about the ex-offender population, we need to care about recidivism rates overall.

Employment after release from prison has a huge impact on recidivism rates, so caring about recidivism means caring about ex-offender employment.

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